I feel Rebels got the shaft in terms of action figures. Its timing was against it. After the initial launch there was always sexier media like movies for Hasbro to concentrate their energies on. The one thing I was hanging out for, but which never materialized, was realistic-styled Rebels figures that could blend seamlessly with the rest of my 3.75" collection. Seeing the beautiful figures of this sort that 6" collectors were lucky enough to receive is salt in the wound. There was so much potential. The show had plenty of depth and offered so many cool new troopers, droids, aliens and heroes that would have made great figures. I understand why we didn't get them, but it still makes me sad. Perhaps in the years ahead Hasbro may dabble in this territory, but with so much new media coming, it seems unlikely to me that they will ever have the bandwidth in their range planning to go back and give rebels more than the most cursory and superficial of plastic coverage. Gonna have to be a future customs project.

I agree... I thought the toys sucked. So did my son. He's 10 now and recently packed up his entire Star Wars collection, he says because the figures aren't good. He favors GI JOE and Call of Duty mega bloks.

It would be great if they made some sort of Rebels multi-pack in realistic style, with good articulation.. a series of multi-packs, exclusive to TRU would kick ass...

I loved the 5 POA animated Rebels figures, they were pure nostalgia because they reminded me of the vintage Droids line. I also think they went animated for the likeness, because it was a cartoon and kids identify with what they see on the screen, just like with Clone Wars. I do appreciate that some people want more articulation though. It would be cool to see Hasbro pick up where they left off when it comes to Rebels, and include Kanan and Ezra in their Season 4 outfits in the TVC line. I'm not sure I'd be excited to see figures based off Season 1, because it would decrease the chances of ever seeing anything new. Who knows, maybe Disney will expand beyond BADs and make some other characters? They did a great Chopper figure, though they aren't exactly readily available at a decent price - I'm still trying to track one down.

I'd include AP-5 into the mix (Where is he this season?) along with Bo-Katan (If they aren't going to do any CW figures). And maybe Thrawn and Ruhk. I don't think I need any incompetent Imperial Officers done.

Does anyone know if Pryce is supposed to look like Irina Spalko (or is it just me)?

Last edited by darthvlad on Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:02 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Bo-Katan is a bit of a mystery - people have been asking for her the moment she hit the screen in the CW series - both collectors and kids, yet Hasbro has done nothing. Its beyond me why they have yet to make her - she is a strong female character and a Mando! Both of the Sabine figures sold well, cant imagine Bo-Katan not flying off the pegs.

I get why they went with animated style figures. It does make sense and i don't fault them for that. It just wasn't what I personally wanted. But we don't always get what we want.

darthvlad wrote:I'd include AP-5 into the mix.

Amen! I'm hopeful that he may yet make an appearance in plastic if Disney updates their protocol Build a Droid parts. Bonus: he'd likely be realistic-styled, too, if their past efforts are any indication.

darthvlad wrote:Does anyone know if Pryce is supposed to look like Irina Spalko (or is it just me)?

Undoubtedly! I attempted a custom of her using the Irina Spalko head from her 3.75"Indy figure on a female Imperial officer body, but the likeness on that Spalko toy isn't the best, so she didn't turn out all that well. I ended up replacing the head with another and it looked much better. I must get around to posting pictures of that ...

Some of the 6 inch figures are very tempting, including the Rebels characters, and I gave in once for Ahsoka - but only once. I'm sticking with 3.75 until my collecting days are over. I honestly think Hasbro would like to discontinue SA 3.75 and only have 5 POA and 6 inch because those lines pay for themselves, while SA 3.75 is more of a burden to their profit margins. The return of TVC will be the final test at retail, so hopefully it makes an impact with the community. If they pepper in characters from animation along with all the movies, it has a chance of being the great line it once was - we'll see what Hasbro does with it, but 2018 doesn't look promising, and I doubt we'll see any Rebels characters. Maybe 2019 and beyond, if the line sticks around, but its also possible we might see some in the basic line again, because of the gap between the Solo movie and Episode IX.

The 6" Rebels figures, and especially Ahsoka, are stunning. I confess that my eye lingered long on them when first I came across some in person, but ... the dyed in the wool 3.75" collector in me resisted their lure. I cannot start a new collection, and given that I buy figures to display in dioramas, 6'is just too big.

6" is a master stroke from Hasbro. Manufacturing prices have skyrocketed in recent years, so I understand that they must have found themselves incredibly squeezed when it comes to producing viable product at 3.75" with the level of tooling and articulation that we have become accustomed. There's a perceived value conundrum where they can't just keep raising the asking price, and even with the new films, the market isn't what it was. Making the jump to 6" allows them to set a new premium level price point and build a comfortable margin back into the business model. They likely don't cost much more to make than a super articulated 3.75" figure, but the perceived value at retail is much higher. It's much more sustainable for them to produce 6" than 3.75" SA toys, which is why the marketing has been aggressively ramming them down our throats these past few years. They want us all to make the jump to 6".

That they have continued to produce some 3.75" SA toys is actually remarkable in my opinion, and I am thrilled that they have committed to continuing next year with the Vintage Carded Collection. The vintage-inspired cardbacks offer them another chance to present these as premium items with a correspondingly higher price point, which is to be expected. Where they're also making their economics work is by padding the line heavily with repacks. It is disheartening to me that even repaints or accessory swaps are considered new figures for the sake of their budgeting. That makes it much harder to get excited for what is to come. As an opener, vintage cardbacks are meaningless to me. I want new figures. An existing figure with some fresh paint isn't something already own. There's plenty of trooper, droid or alien tooling that could be repurposed that way, if only they'd do it, but there also has to be a chunky amount of genuine newness or it's going to be a dead in the water line.

But bringing this back to Rebels, I just can't see much opportunity for realistic Rebels characters in what is already a low number line that is significantly comprised of repacks. The few new figure slots in the line are going to be allocated to lower hanging fruit from the movies. And even if they did do some Rebels figures, one or two a year is probably the most we could hope for, meaning we might never even complete the Ghost crew, let along anyone else, and it's those backgrounders that most interest me.

It's gonna be customizing time, I reckon.

At least Disney seems keen on continuing to include Clone Wars and Rebels droids in their park exclusive sets. Overpriced and trickier to get they may be, but I'll take 'em over nothing!

I'm hopeful that the Vintage Collection will allow some of the realistic Rebels figures to be made like what they did for The Clone Wars. I'm a bit of a latecomer to Rebels, as I've only just finished Season 1. That being said, it's already a much stronger show than The Clone Wars, which I enjoyed, but it's not something I'd rewatch constantly. Rebels has more replay value and I love the premise of it. I would like to think eventually, we'll get realistic 3.75" figures in the Vintage Collection for at least a few of the characters, even if the first wave will be repacks.

I can see them making a Sabine in the vintage collection and that's it.

I'm honestly NOT looking forward to the vintage collection. I saw the examples at HASCON and it was just more of the same in packaging and price point.

I want to open the packages WITHOUT ruining them. Otherwise I don't want the product anymore. I just want the toy... And that's what the secondary market is for.

I bought "every" figure the last 2 movies and never took them off the cards. I have multiples from clearance sales... They just sit there. I'd open them but then what for? Its all worthless and easy to get. This to me is SW now...?

I hear ya. A product is a product but when its soo poorly conceived or produced its obvious.

And with new marketing ever year or 6 months it's not even about sustainability... Just branding.

I've never held any illusions myself but its hard to see people just eating slop like its honey. Harder to watch something you care about die. Like all 3 of our heroes now... An only cuz "why not"

I feel instore collectors are going to decline... Since only the veteran's are going to want "old SW" and with EP 15 being about the offspring of entirely fabricated products... The youngest current generation is only going to care... Until they grow old and get their "prequels let down" repeating the circle.